Amtrak CEO: Christie vow to withhold funds won’t solve issue

By Associated Press | April 6, 2017 at 3:35 amUPDATED: April 6, 2017 at 10:09 am

New Jersey Transit commuters rush to catch a train heading for Gladstone, N.J., Wednesday, April 5, 2017, in Hoboken, N.J. The heads of the two major commuter rail lines that use New York's Penn Station took turns criticizing Amtrak on Wednesday for two recent derailments that continued to cause headaches for commuters in the nation's busiest rail hub. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Amtrak’s CEO is pushing back against New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s vow to halt payments to Amtrak following a second derailment at New York City’s Penn Station.

The Republican governor said in a letter that he directed New Jersey Transit to withhold funds until an independent inspection verifies that Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor is in a state of good repair.

NJ Transit says it paid Amtrak $62 million last year for maintenance and repairs.

On Thursday, Amtrak CEO Wick Moorman said he understands Christie is frustrated but added that withholding money “is not going to solve any of the problems.”

Full rail service at Penn Station is expected to be restored Friday morning, four days after Monday’s derailment.